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browser redirect and iexplore.exe process problem

hi,
i have three different browsers that are all being redirected from google or yahoo searches to apparent random sites. this in itself is irritating but my concern is that more dangerous actions are actually being carried out. when the computer is started a process called iexplore.exe is running but IE is not visible. if i end the process using taskmanager the process restarts in a couple of minutes, and i stop it again. sometimes i can tell when it launches because the window i'm using looses focus. i got procmon.exe and it reveals that when the process iexplore.exe is running lots of things are happening and and reports lines with localhost:xxxx and unknown ip addresses. and yes, if i run IE myself then two processes with the same name show up in the taskmanager. i fear something dangerous may be going on but none of the virus scanners i've tried have been able to stop this behavior. included below and attached are three file, DDS, Attach and ark.

My name is Shannon and I will be working with you to remove the malware that is on your machine.

I apologize for the delay in replying to your post, but this forum is extremely busy.

Please Track this topic - On the top right on this tread, click on the Option button, and, in the drop-down list, click on 'Track this topic'. Under Subscription Information, click on 'Immediate Email Notification' and then click on the Proceed button at the bottom.

Do Not make any changes on your own to the infected computer.

Please set your system to show all files.Click Start, open My Computer, select the Tools menu and click Folder Options.Select the View Tab. Under the Hidden files and folders heading, select Show hidden files and folders.Uncheck: Hide file extensions for known file typesUncheck the Hide protected operating system files (recommended) option.Click Yes to confirm.

Now, let's look more thoroughly at the infected computer -

We need to see some information about what is happening in your machine. Please perform the following scan:

Please note: You may have to disable any script protection running if the scan fails to run. After downloading the tool, disconnect from the internet and disable all antivirus protection. Run the scan, enable your A/V and reconnect to the internet.

Next, please download Rootkit Unhooker from one of the following links and save it to your desktop.Link 1 (.exe file)Link 2 (zipped file)Link 3 (.rar file)In order to use this tool if you downloaded from either of the second two links, you will need to extract the RKUnhookerLE.exe file using a program capable of extracing ZIP and RAR compressed files. If you don't have an extraction program, you can downlaod, install and use the free 7-zip utility.

Double-click on RKUnhookerLE.exe to start the program.

Click the Report tab, then click Scan.

Check Drivers, Stealth, and uncheck the rest.

Click OK.

Wait until it's finished and then go to File > Save Report.

Save the report to your Desktop.

Copy and paste the contents of the report into your next reply.

-- Note: You may get this warning...just ignore it, click OK and continue: "Rootkit Unhooker has detected a parasite inside itself! It is recommended to remove parasite, okay?".

Once you have the above logs, click on the Add Reply button below, copy in the contents of the two OTL logs and the RKU log. Also include any comments that you might have concerning the infection(s) and the infected computer.

hi Shannon,thanks for getting back to me on this problem. i understand the time problem because i've seen so many posts that describe problems similar to mine.

included below, i hope, are the three text files from the scans.

the only new thing i have noticed is that if the computer is turned on without being connected to the internet then the iexplore.exe process does not show up in the taskmanager. if you then plug in the cable it will show up in about a minute or two. in fact it is running now.

could you please tell me again where the options button is to turn on tracking. thanks.

Thank you for the logs. They did show some problems and one was a backdoor trojan. A backdoor trojan allows hackers to remotely control your computer, steal critical system information and download and execute files.

I would counsel you to disconnect this PC from the Internet immediately. If you do any banking or other financial transactions on the PC or if it should contain any other sensitive information, please get to a known clean computer and change all passwords where applicable, and it would be wise to contact those same financial institutions to apprise them of your situation.

Though the trojan has been identified and can be killed, because of it's backdoor functionality, your PC is very likely compromised and there is no way to be sure your computer can ever again be trusted. Many experts in the security community believe that once infected with this type of trojan, the best course of action would be a reformat and reinstall of the OS. Please read these for more information:

hi Shannon,
well, after some consideration, i've decided i should reinstall the operating system. i ran a utility from microsoft that claims windows 7 will run on my machine although it is fairly old. if that fails i will seek out xp, if that is still available anywhere. now that you know the nature of the infection, is there any danger in saving some documents and images on cd, scanning those, and if they are reported clean, putting them on the new machine? i'd hate to lose years of accumulated files.

the bad machine is getting weirder. for instance, notepad might suddenly close itself or a browser might start running on its own. it's rather creepy.

Since you have decided to reformat your hard drive and reinstall, in your backup of your current files, you should not backup files with the following extensions:.exe.scr.htm.html.xml.zip.rar.asp.php as these might harbor infections.

For the future, please take the time to read below to secure your machine and take the necessary steps to keep it clean.

One of the most common questions found when cleaning Spyware or other Malware is "how did my machine get infected?". There are a variety of reasons, but the most common ones are that you are going to sites that you are not practicing Safe Internet, you are not running the proper security software, and that your computer's security settings are set too low.

Below I have outlined a series of categories that outline how you can increase the security of your computer so that you will not be infected again in the future.

Practice Safe Internet

One of the main reasons people get infected in the first place is that they are not practicing Safe Internet. You practice Safe Internet when you educate yourself on how to properly use the Internet through the use of security tools and good practice. Knowing how you can get infected and what types of files and sites to avoid will be the most crucial step in keeping your computer malware free. The reality is that the majority of people who are infected with malware are ones who click on things they shouldn't be clicking on. Whether these things are files or sites it doesn't really matter. If something is out to get you, and you click on it, it most likely will. Below are a list of simple precautions to take to keep your computer clean and running securely:

If you receive an attachment from someone you do not know, DO NOT OPEN IT! Simple as that. Opening attachments from people you do not know is a very common method for viruses or worms to infect your computer.

If you receive an attachment and it ends with a .exe, .com, .bat, or .pif do not open the attachment unless you know for a fact that it is clean. For the casual computer user, you will almost never receive a valid attachment of this type.

If you receive an attachment from someone you know, and it looks suspicious, then it probably is. The email could be from someone you know infected with a malware that is trying to infect everyone in their address book.

If you are browsing the Internet and a pop up appears saying that you are infected, ignore it!. These are, as far as I am concerned, scams that are being used to scare you into purchasing a piece of software. For an example of these types of pop ups, or Foistware, you should read this article: Foistware, And how to avoid it.

Another tactic to fool you on the web is when a site displays a pop up that looks like a normal Windows message or alert. When you click on them, though, they instead bring you to another site that is trying to push a product on you. We suggest that you close these windows by clicking on the X instead of the OK button. Alternatively, you can check to see if it's a real alert by right-clicking on the window. If there is a menu that comes up saying Add to Favorites... you know it's a fake.

Do not go to adult sites. I know this may bother some of you, but the fact is that a large amount of malware is pushed through these types of sites. I am not saying all adult sites do this, but a lot do.

When using an Instant Messaging program be cautious about clicking on links people send to you. It is not uncommon for infections to send a message to everyone in the infected person's contact list that contains a link to an infection. Instead when you receive a message that contains a link, message back to the person asking if it is legit before you click on it.

Stay away from Warez and Crack sites! In addition to the obvious copyright issues, the downloads from these sites are typically overrun with infections.

Be careful of what you download off of web sites and Peer-2-Peer networks. Some sites disguise malware as legitimate software to trick you into installing them and Peer-2-Peer networks are crawling with it. If you want to download a piece of software a from a site, and are not sure if they are legitimate, you can use McAfee Siteadvisor to look up info on the site.

DO NOT INSTALL any software without first reading the End User License Agreement, otherwise known as the EULA. A tactic that some developers use is to offer their software for free, but have spyware and other programs you do not want bundled with it. This is where they make their money. By reading the agreement there is a good chance you can spot this and not install the software.

Visit Microsoft's Windows Update Site Frequently

It is important that you visit http://www.windowsupdate.com regularly. This will ensure your computer has always the latest security updates available installed on your computer. If there are new updates to install, install them immediately, reboot your computer, and revisit the site until there are no more critical updates.

Update your AntiVirus Software

It is imperative that you update your Antivirus software at least once a week (Even more if you wish). If you do not update your antivirus software then it will not be able to catch any of the new variants that may come out. If you use a commercial antivirus program you must make sure you keep renewing your subscription. Otherwise, once your subscription runs out, you may not be able to update the programs virus definitions.

Make sure your applications have all of their updates

It is also possible for other programs on your computer to have security vulnerability that can allow malware to infect you. Therefore, it is also a good idea to check for the latest versions of commonly installed applications that are regularly patched to fix vulnerabilities. You can check these by visiting Secunia Software Inspector and Calendar of Updates.

Update all these programs regularlyMake sure you update all the programs I have listed regularly. Without regular updates you WILL NOT be protected when new malicious programs are released.

Update your Java runtimes regularly

Older versions have vulnerabilities that malicious sites can use to exploit and infect your system. Download the latest version here - http://java.sun.com/javase/downloads/index.jsp. You want to select the JRE version.Follow this list and your potential for being infected again will reduce dramatically.Good Luck!!

Due to the lack of feedback, this topic is now closed.In the event you still have problems, please send me or any Moderator a Private Message and ask them to reopen this topic within the next 5 days. Please include a link to your topic in the Private Message. Thank you.